Investment Management Company Seeks a Business Development Manager with Strong Business Development Skills

A unique opportunity exists for a high-caliber professional with strong outbound business development skills. Are you comfortable talking with agricultural researchers and innovators about their unique inventions and technological innovation? Can you develop relationships and establish credibility with senior business executives by articulating a business model and value proposition around technology commercialization? If so, we want to talk to you!

The Company

This Group is an investment management company that invests across the continuum of entrepreneurship from incubation and venture-level investments, to near-exit companies.  This includes a company that invests in the formation and financing of Canadian AgTech companies; a fund of funds allocation for investing in North American venture capital limited partnerships; as well as a company that invests in venture-backed technology companies with prospects for near term exits. This Group has over $100 million in assets under management and growing and has made over 100 direct company investments and has invested in 7 third-party venture funds.

THE FUND

Rather than invest in existing businesses, The Fund forms and funds new companies to commercialize novel technology. It’s the Third Option for AgTech IP owners, when internal support is lacking, or when inventors don’t want to be an entrepreneur.

The Fund has adopted a defined company formation model.

1. We source compelling technologies that solve real market problems
2. We recruit professional CEOs to lead new companies based on those technologies
3. We form new companies with investable corporate and capital structures
4. The Fund leads the first round of financing, and
5. We make sure there is appropriate governance in place.

We define AgTech very broadly. It’s anything from “Farm to Fork”, which includes any technologies related to the production, manufacturing, logistics, and distribution of food and agricultural products.

The Fund’s goal is to maximize shareholder value by creating new companies focused on solving real market problems. The Fund does that by putting novel technology in the hands of professional leadership and making sure companies are adequately financed.

The Position

The new position is largely dedicated to The Fund, with a small allocation of time to other operational activities.  The position is part of The Fund’s team, which operates in a consensus-based decision environment, with annual goals factoring into compensation.

Position Responsibilities

The position will have sourcing and screening responsibilities including:

• Sourcing potential agricultural technologies from companies, institutions, and other sources across Canada
• Screening agricultural technologies for consideration by The Fund investment managers
• Assisting the team with due diligence of new investment opportunities

Other Position Parameters

• The successful candidate will report to the President of the investment management company
• The person will ideally be located in Ontario
• Travel requirements could be significant and managed with budget

Candidate Profile

Experience & Knowledge

• 5+ years analyst experience in the AgriTech sector, insight into market dynamics, and assessing technology value propositions.
• 5+ years early-stage business development role would be considered an asset
• Experienced with due diligence of investment transactions
• Familiarity with the elements of company creation: shareholders’ agreements; by-laws, etc.
• Knowledge of the characteristics and risks within a start-up company

Personal characteristics

• Must demonstrate a history of developing relationships, establishing credibility, and creating outcomes by engaging academics and senior business executives
• Fit within the entrepreneurial and team-oriented culture with a “do what you have to do” attitude
• A self-starter, comfortable identifying quality investment opportunities and bringing them forward for consideration
• Must be able to envision solutions and workarounds to create opportunity that is not always obvious
• Proactive, able, and willing to make cold calls and get involved in the business community for business development purposes
• Able to identify promising technologies and go-to-market strategies

Education

• Undergraduate degree in science, finance, agriculture, or business
• Relevant work experience, with exposure to agriculture, agri-technology, or agribusiness